You Make Me Smile
by qasoline
Summary: While innocently looking through some baby photos, Thea and Eric stumble upon something very interesting...


**(A/N) God, I feel like such a procrastinator. I keep telling myself that I'm going to write and finish my other stories like Damn the Dark… and The Heart I Once Had. But, being me, I had to go and write another one-shot. Yes, I know I'm a terrible person, but they are fun to write and to read and I think this is cute. I hope you like it **

**Oh, and of course I don't own Night World. But you knew that, so what's the point of saying it? Right, so I can feel all bad that I don't own the greatest books that ever existed.**

You Make Me Smile

Thea sat down lightly in front of Eric on the floor, grasping his large hands in her smaller ones.

"I still have no idea how to thank you." She sounded vaguely flustered and her brown eyes shone with confusion.

Eric tucked a few of her blonde flyaway strands behind her ear with his thumb. He found himself getting easily lost in her eyes and her pale, delicate features.

"Well, what exactly are you thanking me for?" He asked, barely paying attention to her words, just her face.

She had to look away from his steady gaze, feeling just slightly uncomfortable. He was constantly telling her how she was so beautiful, which she passed off as laughable; just careless flattery_._ Not meant to be taken too seriously, she supposed.

"For letting me stay here, of course. With you." She added softly, looking pointedly back at him.

Eric scoffed, having none of it. He had snapped out of his self-induced trance, and now felt something less than his previous serenity. Anger.

None of it was directed towards Thea, though, of course. He had found it very hard to be mad at Thea. He was never angry at Thea.

No, he was angry at himself for not making it clear enough already that Thea was more welcome in his home than any of his blood family. She belonged here, and if she thought otherwise, it was just stupid, stupid, and absurdly ridiculous.

"Thea, if I've told you once, then that should be enough. I am more than ecstatic that you're here. My mom loves you, and Roz is your biggest fan. You are extended family, my soulmate, the light of my life, and I'll be damned if you're thinking-"

"Eric! Thea!" Eric's mother stormed in, arms overflowing with thick books. "Sorry if I'm interrupting anything, but you'll never guess what I found! Your old baby photos! Oh, Thea you are going to love these!"

Thea smiled, while Eric cringed, inside and out. _I thought I hid those…_

Eric's thoughts were slightly bitter, and when Thea picked up on them, she giggled. She and Eric moved to the loveseat.

The first picture Ms. Ross pulled out was one of Eric as a very small toddler in a high chair, holding something over his head. Thea burst out laughing. The silly boy had poured spaghetti all over his little head. His body and his sandy hair were both stained red. He didn't look too happy about it at all.

Ms. Ross smiled fondly, and Eric even laughed a little. And if Thea wasn't mistaken, she thought she saw some pink light up his cheeks. She reassured her boyfriend.

"Don't be so embarrassed, you look adorable!" She gushed.

'Gah' was all he said.

The next photo was of Rosamund and Eric together. Roz was clearly a new born, wrapped in blankets, and looking comfy cozy in Eric's arms. He was staring down at her, his green eyes shining with both adoration and curiosity.

Thea grabbed this one to get a closer look.

"Gosh, I'm like dying! You two are just so cute!" She smiled radiantly and Eric's breath caught in his throat.

They stared lovingly into each other's eyes a moment before Ms. Ross broke them apart for the second time that evening.

"Oh, Eric, look! This was your very first smile! You were a year old; I was so worried that you were going to be a clinically depressed toddler."

Thea laughed again.

"You didn't smile for an entire year?" She asked in mock disbelief.

He simply shrugged, while his mother read the back of the photograph.

"Yes," She said. "That's what I thought. May 13th was the first time you smiled."

Thea stared open mouthed at nothing. Eric, worried, touched her shoulder gently.

"Thea?"

Very conscious, she said "May 13th is my birthday."

"_What?"_

He looked at his mother for help. She read off the year.

"Yep," Thea stated. "That's it." She chuckled, in shock just a bit, but still managing to beam at him.

"So you're saying, that the first time I smiled, is when you were born...?"

Rosamund piped in.

"Not to mention the period of time when you weren't alive, Thea, Eric was all sad."

Ms. Ross tilted her head in wonder and awe.

"That's amazing, you know. You two are absolutely, one hundred percent made for each other. You were meant to be together forever."

Eric sighed, and said, "I know." His eyes never left Thea.

They gazed at each other serenely, and Thea no longer felt ashamed. There was no need for embarrassment. This was her soulmate, after all.

"And this is where they kiss…" A dark chuckle.

"Shut up, Roz."


End file.
